Parent Minute

Does your teen seem brain-damaged?

Posted on 3/13/2016 by Greg Yoder

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I’m going to be blunt here. If you’ve ever tried arguing with a teenager, you quickly realize that they don’t always use the best logic in the world. It can be frustrating. Sometimes I’m sure you wonder if their elevator goes all the way to the top. According to many mental health experts, a person’s brain isn’t fully developed until their mid-20s. Can you believe it? So, no, they’re not brain-damaged—just mentally under-developed, which is why they need our guidance. That’s also why they need us to clearly spell out our expectations and the consequences before there are problems. Then we can calmly impose the consequences when those expectations are violated. Will they complain? Probably, but, down the road when they have kids of their own, they’ll appreciate it.